The end of Buddhist Lent, also called “Awk Phansa” in Thai, is approaching this Thursday, October 21st.

 

The day traditionally also brings a 24-hour total national alcohol sales ban, although it has not yet been officially announced but is nearly certain to happen. Although bars and entertainment venues remain closed nationwide due to Covid19 and only a few sandbox areas like Phuket can sell alcohol at restaurants, this will also extend to store sales on the 21st.

 

Awk Phansa annually marks the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent period and the end of the rainy season. Monks would end their three-month retreats and return to their temples and live normal Buddhist lives.

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/18/end-of-buddhist-lent-approaching-this-thursday-october-21st-24-hour-alcohol-sales-ban-incoming/

 

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Can you buy No-Alcohol beer then?

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Monks would end their three-month retreats and return to their temples and live normal Buddhist lives.

If only I would have noticed any difference since July at our four(!) temples close by.

Return to their temples?

Well, of course there is.

The all-knowing and all-seeing puritan temperance circles are doing what they do.

 

The great aspect of all this <deleted> - no one pays any heed to this gobbledygoop - 

10 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

If only I would have noticed any difference since July at our four(!) temples close by.

Return to their temples?

During Lent, many monks went to do religious retreats, India being a favorite place.  Now it's time to get back to normal duties in their temples. 

bars are unofficially open here in CM, if they've paid the right people. Not hard to get a drink.

A Buddhist ban on alcohol on top of the Covid ban on alcohol.

 

I'm not sure this is sufficiently virtuous. Surely a 48 hour ban on cigarettes or the consumption of meat would really drive home their power and moral superiority? They're really missing a trick here. 

59 minutes ago, SmartyMarty said:

bars are unofficially open here in CM, if they've paid the right people. Not hard to get a drink.

I'm predicting some raids in CM.

16 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I'm predicting some raids in CM.

There have been raids on bars / restaurants in CM.

 

Now there are hidden cameras you must go show yourself to to get in.  Must also text some staff inside so they know to look at the camera ...

 

Other places have secret knocks to get inside after 8pm or so ....

 

Then there are places that have been open since the ban was enacted thus must be paying off the BiB.  Some places know when the raids are happening thus won't serve on those evenings ... places right across the moat weren't told and got hit.  It's all about the money ...

34 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

A Buddhist ban on alcohol on top of the Covid ban on alcohol.

 

I'm not sure this is sufficiently virtuous. Surely a 48 hour ban on cigarettes or the consumption of meat would really drive home their power and moral superiority? They're really missing a trick here. 

If you can't respect Buddhism, you should probably stay out of Thailand. 

10 minutes ago, TooMuchTime said:

If you can't respect Buddhism, you should probably stay out of Thailand. 

But it's not really Buddhism is it, amulets, superstition, fortune telling, statues of giant dogs, zebras and chickens etc Wats looking like theme parks and monks up to all sorts, including the ones I saw betting at a muay Thai match. Not a lot to respect really, and most of them could not tell you what the 4 noble truths are or the 8 fold path, they seem more interested in for ever building more and more onto Wats and giant statues.

1 minute ago, TooMuchTime said:

If you can't respect Buddhism, you should probably stay out of Thailand. 

Oh please, drop the sanctimony.

 

This isn't about respecting Buddhism, I have great respect for Buddhism. In terms of the Thai take on Buddhism I do have certain reservations about certain aspects of it, but I still have and show the upmost respect for it.

 

However, I do not agree with forcing a particular set of religious beliefs and practices onto individuals who do not share those religious beliefs. It's a very dangerous path to go down, as history has shown us countless times.

 

I have an even greater problem with it when it's done as a form of control and a show of moral superiority by an authoritarian military regime that stole power from a democratically elected government and has consistently failed those people whose liberty they stole.  

 

So if you're going to attempt to virtue signal, please try to do it more intelligently. Good lad...

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, khaowong1 said:

During Lent, many monks went to do religious retreats, India being a favorite place.  Now it's time to get back to normal duties in their temples. 

Normal duty, for most is sitting on their @®&€ doing nothing. 

20 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Normal duty, for most is sitting on their @®&€ doing nothing. 

No ploplem.

 

I can do that.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The day traditionally also brings a 24-hour total national alcohol sales ban, although it has not yet been officially announced but is nearly certain to happen. Although bars and entertainment venues remain closed nationwide due to Covid19 and only a few sandbox areas like Phuket can sell alcohol at restaurants, this will also extend to store sales on the 21st.

Bless my local M&P shop.

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The day traditionally also brings a 24-hour total national alcohol sales ban, although it has not yet been officially announced but is nearly certain to happen.

My wife has stopped drinking for lent 3 months and really looking forward to 21st so she can get pished good luck stopping HER ! 

4 hours ago, khaowong1 said:

During Lent, many monks went to do religious retreats, India being a favorite place.  Now it's time to get back to normal duties in their temples. 

Maybe low to no overseas travel this year with the Covid restrictions?

 

4 hours ago, Artisi said:

Normal duty, for most is sitting on their @®&€ doing nothing. 

i phone 12 in hand 

5 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Now there are hidden cameras you must go show yourself to to get in.

If it's hidden, how do you know where to show yourself? 

8 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Maybe low to no overseas travel this year with the Covid restrictions?

 

Yes, maybe.  I don't think it's so hard getting into India, but getting back out would be a problem..  Many countries are not letting anyone from India back into their countries. 

13 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

There have been raids on bars / restaurants in CM.

 

Now there are hidden cameras you must go show yourself to to get in.  Must also text some staff inside so they know to look at the camera ...

 

Other places have secret knocks to get inside after 8pm or so ....

 

Then there are places that have been open since the ban was enacted thus must be paying off the BiB.  Some places know when the raids are happening thus won't serve on those evenings ... places right across the moat weren't told and got hit.  It's all about the money ...

How desperate for a drink had someone got to be to go through that performance.?

 

On 10/18/2021 at 8:26 PM, zzaa09 said:

Well, of course there is.

The all-knowing and all-seeing puritan temperance circles are doing what they do.

 

The great aspect of all this <deleted> - no one pays any heed to this gobbledygoop - 

Most people do pay heed here. It's profoundly important. It's not gobbledygook. Some foreigners are rude, discourteous and ignorant of Thai cultural mores and religious

 values

13 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

But it's not really Buddhism is it, amulets, superstition, fortune telling, statues of giant dogs, zebras and chickens etc Wats looking like theme parks and monks up to all sorts, including the ones I saw betting at a muay Thai match. Not a lot to respect really, and most of them could not tell you what the 4 noble truths are or the 8 fold path, they seem more interested in for ever building more and more onto Wats and giant statues.

I agree. I have been to Nepal and Tibet. The concept of Buddhism is very different here in Thailand. To me it seems much more commercial and superstitious here.

28 minutes ago, Nsp64 said:

How desperate for a drink had someone got to be to go through that performance.?

 

CM is dreadful for drinks and entertainment. Covid or religious holidays would make no difference.

Well for a start you have a faux PM who talks to frogs, wears I don't know how many amulets under his shirt ( probably ) as some sort of bullet proof vest and also consults fortune tellers, when on when will this country get rid of the dinosaurs and get a proper PM with intelligence ? Who has an idea about business & running a country.

the buddhists near me drink laos khao and smoke all day, it'll be no different on Thursday

Having a couple of shots as we speak....

Thanks for the head up, will get the beer truck to swing by this evening and drop me off a few boxes or beer and scotch.

9 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Well for a start you have a faux PM who talks to frogs, wears I don't know how many amulets under his shirt ( probably ) as some sort of bullet proof vest and also consults fortune tellers, when on when will this country get rid of the dinosaurs and get a proper PM with intelligence ? Who has an idea about business & running a country.

He's no different to other Thai political leaders. Thaksin Shinawatra was a great believer in witchcraft and black magic.

17 hours ago, Nsp64 said:

How desperate for a drink had someone got to be to go through that performance.?

 

It's called socializing.  Maybe you like to live as a hermit ... or some type of puritan.

In California alcohol was deemed a necessity during Covid times and delivery trucks kept going.  But here the junta gov likes to apply control to the people of Thailand any way he can.

Having a glass of wine with dinner is not "suspect" behavior.